Love--For Here or to Go?
by unashamed-shipper
Summary: Lucy gets her morning brew from Natsu at a shop called Spellcast-and coffee isn't the only thing brewing between them.


Every morning at exactly 7 AM, Lucy Heartfilia would drag herself into Spellcast Coffee, the place she had frequented for years. They were famous for their caramel macchiatos, whipped cream, and starry atmosphere that looked as if one had peered into the night sky.

And every morning at exactly 7:05, Natsu Dragneel, the pink-haired and hazel-eyed barista had brewed Lucy's caramel macchiato into her favorite travel cup that said "I only date intellectuals". He had also written something personal on the cup in a dry-erase marker. This morning it was, "I think something is brewing between us." Lucy rolled her eyes, somewhat irritated by the admittedly cute guy making her drink every morning without fail. He would always call "Have a great day, Lucy!" when she left, and he sounded like he meant it. It wasn't that she didn't like him... He just wasn't her type. So he made her drink every morning. That was his job. So what?

She walked into her English class, sliding into her chair and sipping her concoction. Levy McGarden, her best friend since 3rd grade, put her hand on Lucy's desk.

"Did that guy make your drink again? Lucy, you should just go out with him for once. He seems really nice!"

Lucy huffed quietly, setting down her drink on her desk. "Levy, you know what kind of guys I like! And he is not it. He's not bookish or blunt like I like. He's boisterous, and every morning he writes a stupid pick-up line on my cup! See?" Lucy picked up her cup and handed it to her friend.

Levy gasped. "That's so cute, Lu! Honestly, he seems like he'd be perfect for you! I'll come with you after class sometime to get coffee and we can see what he writes on your cup next. I'm so excited!"

Lucy rolled her eyes for the second time that day, massaging her temples with her free hand and taking a drink of her coffee.

Lucy's day went by smoothly, and she went over to Spellcast in the morning. 7:05 on the dot, Natsu had made her drink and written in red marker, "I like the way you espresso yourself."

"How could someone have such nerve?!" She thought to herself. "Why does he think he can just write these stupid, cheesy pickup lines on MY cup?"

She stormed over to where Natsu was washing dishes and slammed her fist on the counter. Several people looked up in alarm at the motion.

"What makes you think you can write coffee pick up lines on my cup? I don't see you doing that to anyone else!" She exclaimed, scowling.

Natsu didn't stop washing the dishes, but looked up and muttered a reply. "I've noticed how much you love coffee and I thought it would brighten your day. You always seem so annoyed at something."

"What does he mean?" She thought, confused. And then it dawned on her that she had always snapped at him and never said thank you. She needed to be kind to him. After all, he had made her drink every day, and that was what a barista was supposed to do, right? It was time for her to loosen up.

"Well, fine. Go ahead," she sighed, "I guess it won't hurt any. But don't think this is because I like it!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lucy," he told her, grinning.

It went on like this for the next couple of weeks. Without even noticing, she started to develop a crush on him. She started to smile at him more and twirl her hair as she waited for her drink. She also started to notice little things about him, like how he stuck out his tongue a little when he was making a drink, or when he pressed the espresso machine's buttons he would tap his feet while waiting for it to finish making the coffee. Before she knew it, she slowly started to fall in love with the way that he beamed at her every day and by the way he told her to have a great day after he was done making her drink. It made it hard to concentrate her class when she guzzled down her caffeine. She was too busy thinking of the hands that made her coffee to concentrate on the terms that her professor was going over.

A few weeks later, after a study date for their Chemistry class, Levy said she wanted to tag along to get some afternoon coffee. True, Lucy didn't usually get coffee in the afternoon, but she actually wanted to see Natsu. She was glad that Levy was coming along. After all, she needed someone to be there so she wouldn't look like a complete moron in front of her crush. As they walked on the route to Spellcast Coffee, Lucy started to think of Natsu.

She was intrigued. Even though he wasn't an intellectual, he seemed smart. He always had a pencil behind his ear and seemed to be doing homework whenever he wasn't cleaning up or making a drink for someone. She didn't have time to ask him what he had been studying all of those times, but he seemed like he was working hard, always chewing his lip while he worked out problems in his books. Whenever he did so, Lucy had to take a huge gulp of her coffee to not look at his lower lip as he bit it softly with his sharpened teeth.

"What's Natsu's favorite coffee?" Levy asked, snapping Lucy out of her thoughts. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought.  
"Hmm, I don't know," she told her, "but I'll ask him when we get there! By the way, how are things with Gajeel?"

Levy giggled and flushed, putting her hands on her cheeks. "It's…good. We're taking it slow." Levy told her of how she hoped that they could take it slow for a while and was happy with how things were going and didn't want anything to change.

The bell chimed as they opened the door to Spellcast. "Hey, Lucy! You want your usual?" was heard the moment they walked in. Levy giggled.

"Yeah, thanks!" Lucy called back, sitting down on one of the comfortable chairs.

"Go up and talk to him, Lu!" Levy said, sitting opposite Lucy in a dark green chair.

"But I can't leave you sitting here! He'll think I'm weird!" Lucy said.

"Believe me, it doesn't sound like he cares about me," Levy told her, reaching in her book bag and grabbing a thick book to read on the Anglo-Saxon language.

Lucy glared daggers at her friend and then went up to the counter.

She cleared her throat. "So, um, what kind of coffee do you like, Natsu?"

He looked up at her in surprise, dropping the caramel sauce to the floor.

"You know my name?" he choked out, bending down and picking up the caramel sauce bottle.

"Um..." Lucy said, trying really hard not to concentrate on the fact that his butt was in the air. And it was cute. She flushed lightly, and then straightened up. "Of course! We've been talking for the past few weeks. And you have a name tag on," Lucy said. She tapped her collarbone where a name tag would be located.

"Oh... yeah. I'm kind of used to wearing it, so I forget that I wear it all the time." He said, drizzling the caramel sauce on her drink. "And as to what kind of coffee I like... I like dark roast with a little bit of cream. No sugar." Natsu answered, pitting a lid on her drink. He uncapped his signature red dry erase marker and scribbled something on the side. He then handed it to her with the same grin he always wore. "Does your friend reading the book want anything?"

Levy looked up and smiled. "I would like you to write your phone number on Lucy's cup. Oh, and a white chocolate mocha with raspberry for me, please!" she smirked at Lucy and stuck her nose back in her book to continue reading.

"Levy!" Lucy gasped. Who knew she could be such a great wing woman?

Natsu laughed. "I'll get right on that, Levy." 

He wrote his number with a flourish and handed the cup to Lucy, who grabbed it quickly with one hand and used the other hand to cover her blush. Natsu went into the back to make Levy's drink.

Levy gasped, looking at her friend's cup. "Look at what he wrote!"

Lucy peered at the cup. In Natsu's signature scrawl, it read, "Luce- I only date cute blondes with a love for intellectuals. I'm studying biochemistry at Fiore U. I'm not much of a reader, but I can make you coffee when you are writing your novels and read them for you.

I also envy this cup that gets to kiss your lips every cold, bitter morning on the way to school. Maybe your cup and I could switch sometime. Give me a call."

(777) 777- 7777, Natsu Dragneel.

Lucy blushed even harder. Who knew the guy would be such a flirt? Levy laughed as Lucy's face began to resemble a tomato.

"Is he actually flirting with me? I can't believe it!" She giggled loudly and Levy giggled along with her. She started to get jittery, and it wasn't because of the coffee.

Natsu came out of the back with Levy's cup in hand and put it on the counter. Thankfully, they had stopped the giggling by then. "See you later, Lucy." He said, grinning again. He turned to go to the back to clean up some dishes.

"Natsu, wait." Lucy said urgently.

"Yes, Luce?"

"I-I like you a latte."

Natsu stood in the doorway silently. When he realized what she had admitted, he blushed lightly, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I like you a latte too."

"I'll give you a call." She said, winking at him and turning away. Levy followed behind her. Natsu blushed brighter, smiling even more than he usually would. He let out a whoop and pumped his fist in the air. The girl he had liked since the day she first came in finally liked him back.

A few days later, Lucy texted Natsu and asked when his break was. Their coffee date lasted long into the night, where they then decided to date for real. He kissed her then, and his kiss smelled like coffee and smoke, two things she would never forget.


End file.
